However, it is hard to imagine that this kind of feedstock (extremely pure but heavily penalized by its high energy cost) could remain the only source of silicon for a photovoltaic market which is in continuous expansion, and which has a cumulative growth rate in excess of 30% in the last few years. Even though reports suggest that the silicon share will slowly decrease in the next twenty years, finding a way to manufacture a specific solar grade feedstock in large quantities, at a low cost while maintaining the quality needed, still remains a crucial issue. Thin film and quantum confinement-based silicon cells might be a complementary solution.

Advanced Silicon Materials for Photovoltaic Applications has been designed to describe the full potentialities of silicon as a multipurpose material and covers:

• Physical, chemical and structural properties of silicon
• Production routes including the promise of low cost feedstock for PV applications
• Defect engineering and the role of impurities and defects
• Characterization techniques, and advanced analytical techniques for metallic and non-metallic impurities
• Thin film silicon and thin film solar cells
• Innovative quantum effects, and 3^rd generation solar cells

With contributions from internationally recognized authorities, this book gives a comprehensive analysis of the state-of-the-art of process technologies and material properties, essential for anyone interested in the application and development of photovoltaics.